NBC News under fire for apparently pushing Google to remove conservative sites from ad platform
https://www.foxnews.com/media/nbc-news-google-federalist-zerohedge-ads
NBC News is facing intense backlash for apparently influencing Google to punish two conservative news sites over what was deemed offensive coverage of the George Floyd protests.
In a report published Tuesday afternoon, NBC News claimed Google “banned” The Federalist and ZeroHedge from Google Ads for “pushing unsubstantiated claims” about the Black Lives Matter movement. Google later pushed back, claiming that The Federalist “was never demonetized,” and adding, “We worked with them to address issues on their site related to the comments section.”
“We have strict publisher policies that govern the content ads can run on and explicitly prohibit derogatory content that promotes hatred, intolerance, violence or discrimination based on race from monetizing,” a Google spokesperson initially told NBC News. NBC, however, did not link to the “derogatory content” from The Federalist or ZeroHedge.
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In addition, it appeared it was NBC News’ inquiry into the matter that prompted Google’s actions in the first place.
“Google’s ban of the websites comes after the company was notified of research conducted by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a British nonprofit that combats online hate and misinformation. They found that 10 U.S-based websites have published what they say are racist articles about the protests, and projected that the websites would make millions of dollars through Google Ads,” NBC News reported.
The report continued, “Google blocked The Federalist from its advertising platform after the NBC News Verification Unit brought the project to its attention. ZeroHedge had already been demonetized prior to NBC News’ inquiry, Google said.”
[SO IT WAS A COMMENT MADe TO AN ARTICLE ON FEDERALIST SITE THAT TRIGGERED #FakeNews]
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A 911 dispatcher called a Minneapolis Police sergeant over her concern of the way officers were handling the deadly arrest of George Floyd Memorial Day night, according to newly released data from the Minneapolis Police Department.
In the phone call with the sergeant, the dispatcher said she was watching the arrest on a live camera feed outside Cup Foods.
“You can call me a snitch if you want to,” she told the sergeant, before explaining that the live video showed “all of them sat on this man,” referring to the officers who restrained George Floyd for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as he lost conciousness.
“I don’t know if they needed to or not. They haven’t said anything to me yet,” the dispatcher added.
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This call was made at or *AFTER* the paramedic had already been dispatched at 8:30 but dispatcher doesn’t mention. She says she was watching body cams though they never / rarely do but this time she was. She didn’t call back to tell Sergeant an ambulance to be dispatched. She also begins the call by saying she was calling to tell him about something else she never does.
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Other 911 transcripts released by the department Monday showed the calls of two bystanders. Both calls were placed at 8:32 p.m.
In the first one, the caller said he just watched as an officer, “just pretty much just killed this guy that wasn’t resisting arrest. He had his knee on the dude’s neck the whole time.”
The caller asked to speak to a supervisor about the incident and appeared to be in the middle of being connected when the call ended.
The second call, placed about 30 seconds later, was from someone claiming to be a first responder themselves who said they “literally watched police officers not take a pulse and not do anything to save a man.”
Their call was disconnected soon after.
The following are the transcripts from two 911 calls by witnesses after George Floyd was taken away by an ambulance.
911 call - 8:32:07 p.m.
Operator: 911 what’s the address of the emergency?
Caller: Yes, yeah, we just watched Officer #987 kill a, ah…a citizen in front of a Chicago ah…store. He just pretty much just killed this guy that wasn’t resisting arrest. He had his knee on the dude’s neck the whole time, Officer #987. The man wouldn’t, ah… went stopped breathing. He wasn’t resisting arrest or nothing. He was already in handcuffs. They pretty much is stupid dude, I don’t even know if he dead for sure but dude was not responsive when the ambulance came and got him, and the officer that was just out here left, the one that actually just murdered the kid in front of everybody on 36th, 38th and ah Chicago.
Operator: Okay, would like to speak with a, ah Sergeant?
Caller: Yeah, like that was bogus what they just did
Operator: Hold on.
Caller: To this man. He was unresponsive, he wasn’t resisting arrest or any of it.
Operator: Okay, let me get you over to the desk and you can request to speak with a Sergeant, okay? They have a (inaudible).
Caller: Yeah and I’m sitting here talking to ah with another off-duty ah firefighter that just came here watching in front of us as well. She told him to check the man’s pulse but they wouldn’t even check the ah… the pulse.
Operator: Okay, one second. (phone ringing)
(You have reached the City of Minneapolis, to reach someone in our property crimes division…) (phone ringing)
Caller: You all murderers bro, you all murderers. Thou you gonna kill yourself, I already know it two more years, you gonna shoot yourself. Murderers bro. You all [redacted] just murderers bro.
Precinct: Minneapolis 3rd Precinct.
Operator: Hey it’s dispatch (caller talking over dispatcher) hold on sir.
Caller: Yeah man, I want to speak to a supervisor. Yeah, go ahead.
Operator: Yeah, he wants to speak with a supervisor relating to #320’s call at CUP FOODS.
Caller: They just killed that man in front of the store the pol…
911 call - 8:32:35 p.m.
Operator: 911 what is the address of your emergency?
Caller: Hello, I am on the block of 38th and Chicago and I literally watched police officers not take a pulse and not do anything to save a man, and I am a first responder myself, and I literally have it on video camera (clears throat). I just happened to be on a walk so, this dude, this, they f——— killed him so, I ah..
Operator: Do you want to speak to a supervisor?
Caller: I’m recording this. I’m, I mean I’m f——— recording this right now. I’m willing to talk your agents about this so if we need to talk to a supervisor right now or if somebody needs to get into contact with me later on.
Operator: Let me get you over to the supervisor, okay? Hang on one second.
[Call disconnects]
[Operator makes four attempts over the next two minutes to reconnect.]
[Attempt one. Ringing.]
Automated Voicemail: Please leave your message…
[Call disconnects]
[Attempt two. Ringing.]
[Call disconnects]
[Attempt three. Ringing.]
[Call disconnects]
[Attempt three. Ringing.]
Operator: Hello? Hello?
[Call disconnects]
[Attempt four. Ringing.]
Operator: Hello?
[Call disconnects]
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“I am a first responder” - this seems funny. Why not specifically say what / who he or she is.